Michael Gresham: Secrets Girls Keep Part 9

Danny shoots me a look and shakes her head.

"For right now, we would prefer you wait on that. Let us see how it goes with our new family unit and get used to each other. Then we can talk about bringing in other people. Fair enough?"

He nods and wipes his mouth. "Guess so. You sound like you know what you're doing, Mr. Gresham. I'm just lucky as all h.e.l.l you're giving me a place to stay. I want to finish school and start college next September. So I'll do everything by the book. You can count on it from me."

The words are the right words. But the feeling behind them-well, that feels incongruent. He is more in a surrender mode than a compliance mode. More like he is being forced at gunpoint to comply rather than jumping at the chance to comply and stay out of jail. It worries me. I look for Danny's check-in with me, but she has broken off into a whispered conversation with our new houseguest and doesn't meet my eyes.

Father Bjorn is increasingly uncomfortable chit-chatting with Bledsoe about the car business while at the same time unable to resist the opportunity to stare at his newfound son. I can see that he is amazed at the turn his life has taken and that he is eating it up, getting to be with his son and getting to have an impact in his life. Even under such perverse circ.u.mstances, he is involved in the world of human flesh and blood.

Finally, I say, "Well, everyone, I guess we can open it up to questions now. Jana, this is a good time for you to ask away. We're all here to help you and we need to know what you don't know."

The young man looks across the room and focuses on the far wall.

"I can't think of anything. But if I remember, I'll just whistle," he says, and emits a short, sharp whistle. It is a wolf whistle, actually, and he follows it up with a huge smile at Danny. She blushes and looks down at the floor. Without thinking, she brushes the part on the side of her head with her fingers, pulling her hair away from her forehead and adjusting the silver barrette she's wearing. She wets her lips with her tongue and turns to smile at me. I return her smile and notice that Jana hasn't taken his eyes off her since the whistle. I imagine he's having to deal with having a woman around who isn't going to be after him to take care of her, unlike his mother. He's probably thinking hard about that and I know it will take some getting used to.

So I ignore his interest in my wife.

"Can I bring my snake from Uncle Tim's?"

"Snake?" says Danny, almost as a cry. "Please tell me you're joking!"

"No. It's a small python. It eats mice. It won't hurt your baby."

"Oh my G.o.d," says Danny, "just the image of that-"

"Let's give the snake thing a few days," says Father Bjorn. "These kind people are dealing with enough without that."

"Thank you," Danny says.

She s.h.i.+vers and rubs her hands on the sleeves of her sweater.

Jana watches her. He's very open with his eyes.

Taking her in and doesn't give a d.a.m.n who sees.

15.

On the trip back from Uncle Tim's where we've gone to pick up Jana's things, even though I'm driving I can hardly keep my eyes off of Jana, who's riding in the pa.s.senger seat, his pet python wrapped completely around his lower right arm. I gave in and brought the snake along when I saw the look of disappointment on Jana's face as we were leaving without his pet.

"His name's Leonard," says my houseguest. "He's a Ball Python. That's just about the most popular snake there is."

"Why ball?"

"I don't know."

He is petting the snake and scratching its head. I can just see this thing wrapped around my daughter's neck. It's a horrible image and I change the topic.

"Are you up to going out on my boat with me?"

"Are you kidding? h.e.l.l, yes!"

"Let's drop off Leonard and his cage and get him locked in, and then we'll drive down to the yacht club."

"Yacht club? You seriously belong to a yacht club?"

"Of course. It's where I keep my boat. It's no different than belonging to a golf country club. You get the idea."

"Lots of drinking and grab-a.s.s and card games. Am I right?"

"Pretty much. Throw in a few regattas, a New Year's Eve blowout, and costume parties, and you've got the full picture."

"What kind of boat you got?"

"Sundancer. It's a three-fifty model," I add, guessing that he knows nothing about Sea Ray boat models.

"Thirty-seven foot. I know your boat exactly."

"How's that?"

"When we lived in Santa Monica, I worked on a boat cleaning crew. We saw lots of Sundancers, Mr. Gresham."

"Why don't you call me 'Michael?' That okay with you?"

"Okay. So Michael, what are we fis.h.i.+ng for?"

"I like trout and salmon. We have King and Coho in the lake."

"You eat your catch?"

"Pretty much."

"I wonder if Leonard would like fish. Probably not. He prefers pinkies."

"Pinkies being what?"

"Baby mice. He loves them."

Again, the image. I try to remember whether the snake's enclosure is lockable. That will have to be a must, some kind of lock.

"I doubt that he'd like fish. Besides, I eat the fish. He can stick to the mice."

"Fair enough, Michael. d.a.m.n, I can't believe you have a 'Dancer!"

"You like being on the water?"

"I do. I even crewed a little back in California. I loved going out on day trips."

"What was your job?

"Jack-of-all trades. Mostly baiting hooks for rich people. Tossing chum into the water to get things going. That kind of stuff."

We ride along in silence, then. Several miles later, as we're pa.s.sing a Starbucks, I pull suddenly across two lanes and fall in line at the familiar green sign. I'm up for a sweet Starbucks drink, something like a mocha.

"You like coffee, Jana?"

"I do. I pretty much stick to the basics. French Roast, Sumatra."

"I'm in the mood for a mocha. Care to join me?"

"h.e.l.l, yes. Let's both have one."

I order in the speaker and then we pull up. As we wait at the window, Jana allows the snake to move up his arm and encircle his neck. I am reminded that the Tanenbaum girl was garroted. And in the same moment I am wondering whether I'm sitting beside her killer. An involuntary s.h.i.+ver shakes my body. Jana looks over at me.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just a chill."

He reaches out and adjusts the dash control for the fan speed. He creeps the temperature a bit more into the red. Quickly, it's unbearably hot in the SUV, but I won't admit it.

TWO HOURS LATER, we have the snake all set up and we're out on the lake on CONDITION OF RELEASE, my Sundancer. I am at the helm while Jana sits in the back of the boat watching the wake as we make our way parallel to the sh.o.r.eline.

By four o'clock we are tired. We have both caught and released several fish and we have each selected a salmon for keepers. I add a third for Danny, and we head back to my slip. The crew on the boat dock relieve us of our catch and head down to the fish cleaning table and sink.

Dania is named after my wife, whose name is also Dania. We call the mother Danny and the baby Dania. I decide to have the talk, as we pull out of the yacht club parking lot.

"Okay, here's the deal with Leonard," I begin.

"What's that?"

"One, Leonard never leaves your bedroom. If I catch him outside your room, he's going to the animal shelter. Understood?"

"Dude, why so rigid? Leonard isn't going to hurt your baby."

"I know. But I can't take that chance. If I catch Leonard outside your room, I'm taking him away. I'm not telling you first. I'm just going to disappear him. Understand?"

"Yes."

"And if he's ever within ten feet of Dania, he's a goner too. Deal?"

"Deal."

"The idea of your snake around my little girl is more than I can handle, Jana. It makes me crazy and I'm not having it."

"Okay."

"While we're on the topic of my women, here's another thing. You have a habit of never taking your eyes off Danny whenever you're around her. You're staring at her even when she's not talking to you. I was seventeen once, Jana. I know what it's like. But I'm asking you to be a little more respectful of my wife. And of me. Can you do that?"

"I like Danny. But that's all it is. She's thirty years too old for me."

"You did the math?"

"Oh, man, come off it. You're making me very sad here, Michael. I don't think I can stay around like this."

I decide to see where this goes.

"Where are you thinking of going?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'll go to my father's place. Wherever he lives."

"He lives in a dorm with other men. They each have an apartment. I doubt he would have room for you there. No, you need to simply consider my and my wife's feelings. That's all I'm asking. It's called self-control, Jana. It's very simple."

"You've got my promise, Michael. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable."

"That's the spirit."

We're a mile from home, when it occurs to me. I haven't asked.

"Jana, did you hurt the Tanenbaum girl?"

"Dude, seriously? Is that what all this is about? You think I killed that girl?"

"I'm asking and waiting for you to answer me."

"I didn't hurt anyone. I'm not like that. Honest, Michael."

"Good enough. Now, let's go home. I'm beat and I need a shower."

"Sounds good. Sounds great, in fact."

I don't know any more than I did when we left home this morning.